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The global billionaire population reached a record 3,795 in 2025, with their combined wealth rising 12.8 per cent to $15.1 trillion, according to wealth intelligence firm Altrata.
Technology stocks and the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) helped drive the increase.
The number of billionaires grew 8.2 per cent last year, marking the strongest annual rise in five years.
Altrata found that companies investing at least $30 million in AI over the past five years saw 23 per cent higher market capitalisation growth between 2024 and 2025 than those that did not make similar investments.
The report identified 150 listed companies that contributed significantly to billionaire wealth.
Wealth has become increasingly concentrated at the top. The number of people with fortunes above $50 billion rose to 29, with their combined wealth reaching $4.1 trillion, or about 27 per cent of global billionaire wealth.
In 2017, just 10 people crossed the $50 billion mark and held 7.2 per cent of total billionaire wealth.
Maya Imberg, Altrata’s head of thought leadership and analytics, said the fortunes of the world’s richest people could become increasingly influenced by developments in AI.
The firm warned that greater exposure to technology could make their wealth more vulnerable to market swings.
North America had the largest billionaire population at 1,337, up 11.6 per cent. Europe followed with 1,081, up 7.9 per cent, while Asia recorded 881 billionaires after a 6.5 per cent increase.
Foreign-born individuals account for nearly 60 per cent of London’s billionaires, 48 per cent across the UK, 41 per cent in San Francisco and 19 per cent in New York.
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